Page 56 of Death

I lick my lips. If we were a normal couple, this would be the part where he’d kiss me. Is he restraining out of respect?

Wait, a couple?

What are we even?

I clear my throat. “Ari, about last night…”

His smile doesn’t budge. “It’s all right.”

“No, I’m sorry,” I say over him. “I really didn’t mean to literally disappear like that while we were... I don’t know why that happened.”

“Because I sent you back,” he says.

I blink. “You did?”

Ari shifts a step and leans against the banister. “I did,” he confirms with a nod.

My chest clenches. “You… didn’t want me?”

“No, Tannis,” he says. “No, I wanted you very much.”

“Then what did I do wrong?”

“Nothing. You were…” His eyes travel me up and down. “You are perfect. I ended it because of me, not you.”

I cross my arms. “Okay…”

His lips twitch. “Tannis, I adore you. I admire you. Most of all, I respect you and I respect your parents — and if we…” He looks over my shoulder at the front door. “The last thing I want to do is betray their trust in me to take care of you and, as old-fashioned as it is, that includes the remaining pieces of your virtue so, I ended things before they went too far.”

I bite my cheek to hold back my grin. “Jeez, how old are you?” I joke.

He laughs hard. “Too old for you, some might say.”

“No kidding.” I smile. “But I get it.”

“You do?”

I nod. “And I appreciate you seeing me that way. That’s kinda sweet.”

“Thank you,” he says, bowing his head slightly.

My heart smiles. “So, what’s on the agenda today?” I ask. “Something casual? An extreme sport of some kind?”

Ari’s shoulders give a passive shrug. “Whatever you want,” he answers.

“Whatever I want?”

He nods. “Where would you like to go?” he asks. “What would you like to do? Say it and it’s yours, Tannis.”

“Anything at all?”

“Today is your day,” he simply says.

I smile wide as I draw nothing but blanks. Blanks?

A god has granted me a free day to do and experience anything I ever wanted and I’m drawing blanks?

A day with my friends? A day at Disneyland? Netflix and chill? I can mark Paris off, but how about New York City? Or Barcelona?